Meeting 4th April 2022

MINUTES OF PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

 Meeting of the Parish Council

held on Monday 4th April 2022

at 7.30 pm, at Edingale Village Hall

Members present:

Cllrs Startin (Chair), Cliffe, Dhillon, Lacey, and Meikle

Present: Mrs M Jones, Clerk to the Parish Council.

1/22. To receive and approve apologies

Cllr Mason and Purkess had apologised as they were isolating due to Covid contact.

2/22. To receive any Declarations of Interest

None received.

3/22. To approve the draft Minutes of the meeting of 7th March 2022 The Minutes were approved and were signed by Cllr Startin.

4/22. To hold the public session

No members of the public were present.

5/22. To receive the Clerk’s Report

Chetwynd Bridge update – work would commence in April and consideration was being given to a weight limit. Councillors asked for their concerns about the impact this would make on local residents and farms to be sent to the Highways officers dealing with this, and they would be invited to the next Parish Council meeting to discuss the matter.

Village Hall enquiry – the Village Hall Chair had asked for details of village demographics to help target their activities, the District Council would be asked for information.

Mapping information – the District Council had been asked to assist with errors in road naming in the village which affected making reports to Highways.

6/22. To consider any planning matters

Application 22/00482/FUH; 28 Blakeways Close, ground floor rear extension; the Parish Council believed there would be no adverse effect on neighbouring properties, RESOLVED no objection.

Application L.20/03/867 M; Land South of the A513, Orgreave, Alrewas, sand and gravel extraction; the Parish Council had previously objected on traffic grounds due to the impact on the A38; approved by Staffordshire County Council.

7/22. To consider progress on village name signs

The National Forest had confirmed that an application for a grant for half the cost of the new gates and signs was likely to be agreed if their logo was used. The sign company would be contacted for an updated quote. This would be discussed at the next meeting.

8/22. To consider Best Kept Village Community competition

Preparations had begun, with litter picks organised by Cllr Mason taking place along the verges leading to the village. The Parish Council would lead the competition entry; Cllr Meikle offered to help organise it and the Clerk would submit the entry by 15^th April.

9/22. To consider request regarding Public Footpath access

A resident had asked the Parish Council whether the path from the end of the churchyard could be made less slippery with stone infill. RESOLVED that the contractor would be asked to do this work.

10/22. To receive Councillors’ Reports

Cllr Cliffe mentioned the litter on verges from the Chetwynd Bridge to the River Mease bridge. The District Council would be contacted on this.

It was noted that the Mease Meadows woodland was still closed, Cllr Lacey said that clearance of the felled saplings was still taking place.

Cllr Lacey still had the Speed Watch equipment and the coordinator would be chased up.

Cllr Meikle suggested that a future meeting could look at options for assisting the Village Hall to become a location for an electric vehicle charging point. Further information would need to be obtained.

Cllr Mason had sent a reminder of the Village Hall AGM and Community clear up on 9^th April. He had reported that the contractor’s work on the path through the land off Rowley Close would take place on 12^th April.

11/22. To receive correspondence

Staffordshire Parish Councils Association; bulletins and NALC information

Alan White, SCC, forwarding information on Ukraine from Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Open Gardens group, information and dates

Governor of Mary Howard School requesting update on traffic calming

Request for information on headstone damage, forwarded to Holy Trinity Church

Request for information on sheep welfare in local fields, forwarded to farmer

12/22. To receive a Financial Report

The end of year accounts had been forwarded to the Councillors. The current account stood at £11,747 which was carried forward at the year-end; Cllr Dhillon stated that this was a large amount and that the Council should spend more during the following year, this was likely as costs were rising. A sum of £1,000 was agreed to be paid to the Village Hall towards the expenses of the Jubilee Party, this had been budgeted for and would be added to the payment list for the May meeting. Capital totalled £69,395, Cllr Dhillon advised that the auditors should be informed as in previous years that the capital sum was a result of a land sale.

RESOLVED to approve the Financial Report, see Appendix 1.

13/22.To approve the payments on the payment schedule

Mrs M Jones, salary, back pay and expenses, £248.88;

HMRC, PAYE, £196.09

Acorn Taxi, February £153.37

Village Gardeners, mowing £539.50

Holy Trinity Church, donation for churchyard maintenance £900

Staffordshire Parish Councils Association, annual subs £202.93

It was RESOLVED to approve the payments; Cllr Startin would authorise these.

14/22.Date of next meeting

Thursday 5^th May 2022, at Edingale Village Hall,                                              7.15 Annual Parish Meeting, followed at 7.30 Annual Meeting of the Council

The meeting closed at 8.30